


Kaiba's legacy

by Arantir



Category: Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters (Anime & Manga)
Genre: Gen, One Shot, Slice of Life
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-08
Updated: 2019-12-08
Packaged: 2021-02-26 17:34:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,917
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21712261
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Arantir/pseuds/Arantir
Summary: Absolute perfection, coupled with the urge to give in to something absolutely, can lead to the brink of madness. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is too weak. Seto Kaiba was feverishly working on a dream, a piece of the past, to get a piece of power back into his hands. Who, if not him, was able to create and tame a monster whose strength knows no bounds? The answer is simple: no one.





	Kaiba's legacy

**Author's Note:**

> https://www.animexx.de/fanfiction/390585/?js_back=1
> 
> I am SuperCraig of Animexx, and "Kaibas Erbe" is my own story, based within the Yu Gi Oh Universe.

The CEO of Kaiba Corporation stared impatiently at the printer, who struggled to bring his masterpiece to life. Seto had invested an eternity in this project. The urge to finally beat Yugi whipped him forward, forcing him to go beyond his limits, which, admittedly, were far above those of the rest of humanity. Only him was in the position of banishing a being in card form and controlling it, whose attack could suddenly set an opponent's life points to zero.

"Pegasus feared them." Ishizu, like Yugi, Marik, and Pegasus, seemed to believe this guff that Duel monster cards were animated by ancient, mystical beings.

"The designers have all suffered accidents." This was probably simply due to bad luck and incompetent employees. Pegasus was not known for including the best of the best in his ranks. Industrial Illusions has long been unable to compete with Kaiba Corporation. Moreover, like Pegasus, he did not depend on henchmen to carry out a project of this magnitude, this urgency. He took the time to create a one-of-a-kind that should have been lost.

"Pegasus could not destroy them." Kaiba shook his head as if to scare away an annoying insect. Why would you want to destroy these cards? Hadn't he used them without any problems? Of course; how many times had his most powerful monster, his warden, his invincible champion appeared on the Duel Monsters field? How easy it was to sacrifice three monsters, put the card on the disc, and destroy everything that stood in his way? Even if he sat up with this superstition, he had proved to be worthy, to summon the gods, and to control them.

What stands a Blue Eyes for? Of course, this monster was his heart, his soul, everything he stood for. For a long time, the radiant lizard with the sapphire blue eyes was considered the most powerful monster in Duel Monsters. One was an unstoppable power, but three? Only he had three of them, and the fourth, which could have been dangerous for him, he had eliminated.

Kaiba tripped impatiently on his upper arms. It all went far too slowly for him. He would probably fire the printer's developer, as well as the software manufacturer. He should have built a device himself, but he had been too busy eliminating possible sources of error. Taking care of the technical part would have meant having to postpone the project. His sleeping household had been limited to exactly three hours a day, while Mokuba had taken over most of the business. It was good that he was now able to switch his brother on his own and let him act. Little Kaiba was in no way inferior to the great. A lesser concern that could have hindered him in his big project.

"Odion had not been able to summon the copy onto the field." Again, the brown-haired man shook his head, this time more energetically. Determinedly, he brushed aside all doubts. Odion had also summoned the Winged Dragon of Ra. The copy had simply been made dilettante. Who had Odion been? A nobody, just like his brother Marik, or Ishizu. How much did she rely on her millennial chain? Hadn't she prophesied to him magnanimously that he would lose?

"I determine my own destiny," Kaiba muttered, and could already see the monster's border and head through the glass dome. The big moment was approaching. No prophecies, no magic, no one who spoke to his conscience. There was only him, him and his work. He liked his days the same way. No annoying paperwork, no vultures that threw themselves on every little bit of dirt to throw it at his white vest. He had been alone in his office, setting heaven and hell in motion to get an imprint of the original. It was only through good contacts and proper donations to some shady organizations that he was able to lure Pegasus out of the designs.

Then the meticulous work began. Draw, shape, discard. His desk was littered with sketches, some crumpled, others carelessly pushed aside. His office resembled a single battlefield. But it didn't matter; he would not fail this time, like Pegasus. Why should he?

"Of course, anyone who gives himself up with cartoon characters cannot tame god." This thought worried him a little. He at least admitted to the god cards to be far above normal. Didn't they have a soul after all? Had Pegasus really been so incompetent, and had only charlatans and third-rate developers entrusted with this glorious project? The other Duel Monster cards eventually worked without any problems.

The market was oversaturated with well-made and less well-made copies. Seto had incorporated some modifications into his system that tested certain characteristics and used their existence to weigh up whether a card was a forgery or not. Depending on how this test turned out (and the success rate was 99.9%), the hologram was loaded, or not.

In turn, he made some corrections that even the machine could not have detected with its almost flawless accuracy. His mind, as well as his body, they both worked perfectly together. No one could disturb this symbiosis, except one person.

In front of his spiritual eye, his rival's face peeled out of nowhere. This did not mean little Yugi Muto, who was quite a worthy successor, no, Seto thought of someone else. He was taller, his features more angular, his gaze stricter than that of his carnal shell. Atem had reached a level of perfection that even surpassed that of Kaiba. He did not emulate Yugi, whom he nevertheless valued and respected, but the Pharaoh.

No duelist in the world could compete with the ancient Egyptian king, and the CEO had all the potential candidates through. Either they cheated, or they lacked the necessary sophistication, grace and elegance that Atem possessed. Just as he drew his cards, held them, dealt with them, summoned them onto the field; everything about Yugi's other self screamed for uniqueness. The Pharaoh did not have to deceive to put him in the way.

Atem was able to wriggle out of the most hopeless situation. With nothing on his hand, he was able to create a combination that brought even the most powerful opponents to their knees. He had never really seen the Pharaoh stumble, or doubt himself. His will was indomitable and he reached for the victory because he knew he could take it.

The torso of the humanoid blue giant slowly became apparent on the surface. Painfully slowly, the effigy of Kaiba's most powerful monster formed. He would sack both of the people in whom he had mistakenly placed his trust, as he now became aware. No Kaiba Corporation product was allowed to come onto the market of this quality. His company stood for perfection and power, as did his person.

"Don't do it." This time, Kaiba was scared out of his thoughts. That voice, he knew it. He would be able to filter them out among millions. Its grace, its elegance; it belonged to Atem, without a doubt.

Why should he stop? Atem was gone. He had gone, in his last duel, defeated by little Yugi. "There is no afterlife," the CEO said aloud, refocusing on the work. Carefully adjusting the lase, a little and trying to suppress the thought of Atem, as well as the burgeoning restlessness in it. He was afraid of nothing and no one, for he was Seto Kaiba.

Out of nowhere, he had remodeled the Kaiba Corporation. Weapons and war tools became game items and amusement parks. Domino City had become his city and he had shaken off his stepfather's chains all by himself. Technology could beat magic, if such a thing existed at all. It was his razor-sharp mind that had beaten Diva in his own duel.

"No monster, a god." Kaiba was startled by this thought. He himself had used these words when he had made the impossible possible in the duel of shadows. With sheer willpower, Obelisk the Tormentor had been summoned onto the field. The monster had bowed to his will and simply smashed the enemy's cube monster. Had he not recognized at the time that there was such a thing as a soul, a heart of cards?

The legs of the being had been printed clearly visible. Only the background, the magnetic stripes, the countless falsification safeguards and it would be ready. It was now too late to repent. The thought of having Obelisk back in his deck intoxicated him. A factor that not even Yugi could include in his wildest dreams. If he could restore one God, then maybe all three, and at some point, the Pharaoh himself.

"Do you really think he's going to bow to you?" This time, he was sure he had heard Atem's voice. His mind didn't play a prank on him, he wasn't so tired that he was suffering from delusions.

"Of course, as he has done so often, he will do so in the past." Who did Seto even talk to? There was no one here; he was alone, and only the sounds of the printer could break the oppressive silence that prevailed in his office. Why did he have to justify himself in the first place?

"The gods do not bow to anyone." Gradually, this madness went to his mind. Was he so tired that he thought he was hearing Atem’s voice? Was his desire to compete one last time with the Pharaoh so big that he projected parts of him into his mind, like a small child, that could not overcome the loss of a pet?

"Have you learned nothing from the past?" Of course, he had learned from the past. He was no longer the selfish, egocentric monster of that time. Seto had changed, for the better. He would never really follow other people's society, just as he did not intend to give up his quest for power or change his business practices. Nevertheless, he would now look for other ways to reach his goal. He also enjoyed defeating his opponents fairly and honestly, and not pushing them to the brink of the abyss with dirty tricks.

"You refuse to believe, even though you have seen. Why?" What a ridiculous question. He had seen all the miracles and mysteries, the millennial objects, even his past, had traveled there himself, and yet it was he himself who had put above these forces. His quest to win the God cards had only just launched the Battle City tournament. His technique had enabled him to adapt, modify and improve the original game from ancient Egypt. His name, as well as his company, were at the top, and no one could dispute him this post any more.

"I thought you'd have learned that there are realities that exist far from your world." He had accepted that, too, and yet he could prove it logically. Parallel universes, the mystery of time, perhaps simply coincidence, all components that flowed into a vortex that could be refuted in the end with cold logic. All these phenomena may exist, and yet he had placed himself clearly above them. Moreover, what was the past, as was the present? The past could not be changed. He had done many things in his life that he regretted, but he did not mourn after them. Seto did not sink into self-pity, but meanwhile accepted the few mistakes he had and tried to erase them. He lived in the here and now, and even that was only a brief, fleeting reflection of the great thing that eventually slipped back into the past.

With a quiet beeping, the machine announced that it was finally finished. Automatically, the glass lid opened and released the Duel Monsters card, after which his heart was so consuming. There he lay, Obelisk the Tormentor, his invincible hero. His attack was able to increase to infinity and he was almost indestructible; worthy to find a permanent place in his deck. Not even his beloved beasts, fused into one of the strongest monsters in the history of Duel Monsters, could compete with him.

Kaiba stretched out his hand, wanted to touch his creation, and yet, he hesitated. Why couldn't he access, take what belonged to him? The card resembled the original in all respects. It was perfect. The mouth, the wings, the grains on the fists, even the cold, lifeless gaze – that was his card, his monster, his Obelisk the Tormentor.

The CEO clenched his hand to his fist. His thoughts swayed to Atem. Where was he? Could it be that he had made his way out of the hereafter to save him from stupidity? Had the Pharaoh really fought his way through the darkness of dimensions, for him? Wasn't it what he wanted to see him again?

"I determine my own destiny." He had once spoken these words to Ishizu and sacrificed Obelisk the Tormentor to call his White Dragon to the field. His instincts, his past, both had led him to do the right thing. Didn't he want to be independent and free? Didn't he get back into a chokehold when he added that card to his deck?

Shaking his head, Kaiba reached for his smartphone and dialed a number. He didn't care that it was already three o'clock in the morning. One had to be awake when he called. A few succinct words and the prospect of a cheque with his name on it always had the desired effect, as it was today. The CEO ended the conversation and put the smartphone back on his desk. His gaze wandered to the printer, which still housed, like a protective shell, Obelisk the Tormentor.

Seto walked around the table and typed in the code that opened the drawer with his deck. Determined, he pulled out his cards, fanned them out, and pulled out the White Dragons. He placed all three cards around the printer so that they locked it in a triangle. In the middle rested, bedded at a noble height, the monster of the gods. There they lay, his heart, his soul, and unlimited power.

"There is only one person worthy to lead a God, and only he can bow him to his will." Kaiba spoke to himself, but that didn't bother him. It was a realization he had just gained. Didn't it mean that a pharaoh became a god after his death? Did the Egyptians not believe that their king was the descendant of a god?

Seto recalled his duel with Diva. It was not him who summoned Obelisk, but At. It was not him who had bowed to the will of the monster, but the Pharaoh. It was only with his help that he had been able to call the Divine Soldier, control him, and send Diva to where he belonged.

"You don't need it." Inevitably, Kaiba had to smile. A rare moment that few people had been allowed to enjoy. No, he did not need it, and Obelisk did not belong to him either. The God belonged to Atem, as did Slifer the Sky Dragon and the Winged Dragon of Ra. He thoughtfully looked at his White Dragons.

He had been able to combine his three monsters into a more powerful variant, then Atem could probably do the same. The Pharaoh was able to create a monster that suited him. How could he be so naive and believe that he was in a position to deny Atem this option? Perhaps he could not control Obelisk without the will of the Pharaoh, at least not after the ceremonial duel, but he could consider a strategy to defeat even the fusion of the three monsters of the gods.

The CEO put his head in his neck and closed his eyes. Only now did he realize how much the last few weeks have sucked away at his strengths. He longed for a bed. Only a few minutes left separated him from the longed-for calm. The next few days he would economize, relax and then prepare with fresh energy for the next duel with Yugi. This time he would beat him, without Obelisk the Tormentor.

The quiet roar of the bell of the lobby made him open his eyes again. He put the printer and the god card in a cardboard box, carefully laced it and cautiously stowed his dragons again. He hastily put his name under the cheque and entered a generous sum. With a pressure on his office phone, he called in someone from the security guard who brought the package and the check down.

"I'm proud of you." When Seto was alone again, he could hear this one sentence that meant more to him than holding the triumvirate of the divine beasts in his hands. No victory, no business, not even his brother could have shaken his heart more than these words. They touched him, and he felt he had done the right thing. Not that Seto Kaiba should have been guided by feelings, but in this case, he was willing to make an exception.

"That one day we may see each other again, Pharaoh." The CEO breathed the words into the silence that permeated his office. One last time he stared at the drawings and sketches that had cost him so much time and energy. A piece of paper, cardboard, transient, compared to a true God. Tired, the brown-haired man grabbed his coat, grabbed his smartphone and turned off the lights as he walked out.


End file.
